


when all the crowds are gone

by delectum



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allurance Baby, Babysitting, Cute Kids, F/M, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Keith (Voltron) Whump, Kidnapping, M/M, Married Allurance, Married Sheith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:47:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23099569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delectum/pseuds/delectum
Summary: A routine night of babysitting Allura and Lance’s kid takes a dangerous turn when an unexpected enemy shows up.His heart hurt when he thought about where they were, about whether they were still even on New Altea or not. He couldn’t let her get hurt, not when she had so much life still left in her. They had said they were coming back for him, he recalled, and he would take the chance he was given. It didn’t matter how injured he was, or how bad the odds looked. He had to try.Tucking June into the juncture between his neck and shoulder, Keith leaned against the wall and settled down to wait.
Relationships: Allura/Lance (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 186





	when all the crowds are gone

**Author's Note:**

> Allura and Lance name their kid after juniberries, you can fight me on that

“Thanks so much for watching her, man,” Lance said as he adjusted the cuff links on his sleeves and shrugged on a fitted blazer. “I know it was short notice and you had plans with Shiro, but I really appreciate you taking the time to come out here.”

Keith ran a hand over June’s curly brown hair, smiling down at the baby gently, “Shiro had to head to the Garrison for some coalition stuff so I was free today anyways. And you know I love spending time with her. Besides, you and Allura deserve a night out.”

The smell of an Altean brand cologne -a gift from Coran- drifted in the air as Lance spritzed it over himself. He met Keith’s eyes in the mirror in front of him, grinning mischievously. “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I think you’re her favorite uncle. And Hunk doesn’t count because he bribes her with cookies and lets her have dessert for dinner.”

In his hands, June giggled, tugging at Keith’s braid with curiosity as if to show she agreed with the assessment. Keith bopped the tip of her nose in retaliation. “Your secrets are safe with me,” he told her in utmost seriousness, to which he got a gentle pat on the cheek with her soft small hands. 

Lance watched on with a fond gaze, endeared by the sight of Keith and his daughter together. He could still remember how closed off and guarded Keith had been when they had first met, untrusting of anyone and unwilling to be vulnerable in front his friends in the chance that someone would take advantage.

But years with his teammates, finding his mom, and getting together with Shiro had slowly broken down his walls, until he was comfortable expressing himself and even asking for things when he needed help. 

Lance gave himself one last cursory check in the mirror, fixed up his gelled hair, and stood up from the vanity. 

He dropped a kiss onto June’s head, brushing a hand over her hair. “Daddy’s going out for a bit with Mommy but we’ll be back soon, okay June-Bug? You're gonna be on your best behavior for Uncle Keith, aren’t you?”

June bounced in Keith’s arms, clapping excitedly and gurgling. “Ke-Ke!”

“Thanks again, man, really,” Lance clapped a hand on Keith’s shoulder on his way out of the room, “We should be back around eleven or twelve, but give me or Allura a call if you need anything.”

Keith followed him out of the bedroom, down the stairs and into the foyer, “You guys enjoy yourselves, alright? I can’t even remember the last time you had a chance to go out, just the two of you.”

“Yeah, well, Queen of Altea isn’t exactly an easy job,” Lance sighed, sounding resigned but not upset, “and especially after having June, I feel like we have no time at all. I’m sure you and Shiro are the same way, with him at the Garrison and you doing your ninja thing with the Blades.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “It’s not a ninja thing,” he protested, sitting down on the carpeted floor and leaning against the couch when June started squirming in his arms. He set her down, keeping an eye on her as she bounced up and down and babbled. She was still too young to crawl but seemed to be content just tumbling over Keith’s legs. “But I know what you mean. I feel like the only time Shiro and I see each other is when we get home, and by that time, we’re too wiped to do anything but pass out on the bed for the night.”

“Are we talking about how our workloads have completely killed our social lives?” A soft voice inquired, and Keith turned to see Allura making her way down the stairs. She was clad in a beautiful lavender dress, her hair twisted up in an elegant updo. 

“Hey, Princess. you look great,” Keith said, smiling when she bent down and placed a kiss on his cheek in greeting. “Lance and I were just talking about how long it’s been since you two went out on a proper date.”

Allura groaned, causing Lance to chuckle good naturedly and pull her against his side sympathetically. “It’s impossible to get away from work sometimes. I love June, I really do, but she can be quite a handful when she wants to be. Especially now with that new terrorist group that's popped up on New Altea, I could really use the break.”

“Yeah, about that,” Keith ran a hand through his hair and sighed, “Kolivan was asking if you needed us to send some Blades for extra security. We’ve had a lot of off-duty agents for a while now, and it sounds like you could use it.”

Allura was quiet contemplatively for a moment before nodding, “I think that would be for the best. I don’t want anyone getting hurt, especially not because of me.”

“It’s not your fault that they’re Lotor fanatics,” Lance pressed a kiss against his wife’s forehead, holding her closer, “but in any case, it’s your day off. No more work talk until tomorrow.”

“Lance is right,” Keith said, tickling June with a finger under her chin and smiling at the excited squeals she let out, “You guys enjoy your time tonight, and I’ll have Kolivan call tomorrow afternoon so we can get this all sorted out.”

Unlike him and Shiro, who were up at the crack of dawn everyday to go for their morning jog and watch the sunrise, Lance and Allura preferred to stay in bed until midday if work didn’t force them out.

“Have a good time, you two.”

Allura kissed June on the forehead and pulled Keith into a one armed hug. “Don’t get into too much trouble,” she told June with a twinkle in her eye on her way out the door. 

Sudden quiet descended as the couple left, and Keith pulled June close to him. “You want to play, or have dinner first?” He asked her, making his way to the family room. 

She babbled happily and clapped. 

“Play, it is.”

He let her fumble with the foam blocks and fabric dolls, watching contently and occasionally making a remark that sent her giggling. Half an hour later, he carried June to the kitchen for dinner and into her highchair, letting her pick whether she wanted carrot or banana baby food. She didn’t seem to have any preference either way, so Keith shrugged and popped open a jar of banana for her, feeding her the baby food while having bites of his own dinner. 

June had settled down slightly after eating but still seemed too energetic to sleep even after Keith changed her diaper and dressed her in her sleeping clothes. He flicked on the TV, scrolling through the channels until he found an old Altean kids movie translated into Intergalactic Common. 

Keith quickly lost interest after a few minutes, but June watched with eagerness for almost half an hour before she started falling asleep in her spot. Feeling tired himself, Keith laid across the couch and pulled June close so that she was laying snuggled against his chest. She sighed in her sleep as her ear pressed right on top of his heart, comforted by the steady beat. 

It didn't take long after that that the two of them fell asleep, the sounds of the tv still playing faintly in the background. 

Almost an hour or two later, the phone rang, startling Keith awake. He stretched out an arm to feel for his phone, trying not to disturb June, who was still napping in his chest. “Hello?” He rasped groggily, not even bothering to check the caller ID. 

“Hey baby, it’s Shiro.”

Keith couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face at the sound of his husbands voice, sinking back against the couch and idly rubbing his free hand down June’s back. “Shiro, hey. Are you home yet?”

Shiro let out a quiet sigh, and from the other end of the line, the sounds of shuffling paper could be heard, “Not yet, babe. I think they’ve been saving all this paperwork for me. Everytime I finish one stack, I feel like I've got another two to replace it. Anyways, I just wanted to check in with you, see if everything was okay on your end.”

Keith smiled fondly, “Yeah, everything’s good. June and I were just taking a little nap after dinner. I forgot how boring Altean films were, I’m not sure how Allura watches this stuff.”

“I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No, no. I was gonna get up anyways to clean up a bit. It’s a good thing you called. Besides, It’s always nice to hear your voice.”

Shiro was silent for a moment, and Keith could practically imagine the guilty expression on his face. “I’m really sorry that I had to cancel our plans again,” he said, ignoring Keith’s protests to the contrary. “I'm gonna take you out tomorrow to somewhere special to make up for it, okay? I promise I'll clear my schedule and if anyone has any issues, I’ll tell Iverson to stuff it.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Keith told him softly, missing his husband even more now, “I know how busy you are with work and the coalition. Besides, I’ve had to cancel a bunch of times for Blade stuff too, remember?”

Shiro chuckled, “Regardless, We’re taking a page out of Lance’s book and going somewhere fancy tomorrow. I don’t care what Iverson or Kolivan have to say about it.”

“It’s a date then,” Keith laughed quietly, rocking June in his arms when she started to squirm a bit. She settled down easily at the motion, popping her thumb in her mouth and sucking on it contently. Keith pulled it out of her mouth gently, replacing it with her pacifier instead. “I’ll stay the night here and fly back to Earth first thing tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll be waiting. Listen Keith, I have to go now but I’ll call you later tonight, okay? I love you.”

“Love you, too. Let me know when you get home.”

“Will do. Bye, babe.”

Keith put his phone down, reaching over for the remote to turn off the movie. He knew he should get up soon to clean up the kitchen and then put June to bed properly, but he was too comfortable on the couch with her reassuring weight draped over him, like a weighted blanket. 

He almost dozed off again, but was woken when a strange sound cut through his sleep, his senses instantly alert. 

Listening quietly, he heard the sound again, louder and closer this time. There was no denying that something was there. 

Keith tensed at low thumps that permeated within the house, sounding eerily like footsteps. He put a bracing hand over June’s head and one on her back as he stood cautiously, certain that someone was in the house.

He reached for the sheath he always kept at his back, swearing when his hand met open air. Fuck, his knife was on a shelf in the dining room, where he had left it so June couldn’t hurt herself with it. He cursed himself for letting his guard down. 

The back of his neck prickled, a slight rustle in the air the only warning he got before someone jumped from the shadows, lashing out with a quick jab. Out of instinct, Keith jumped back and retaliated with a high kick to the assailants neck, knocking him to the floor instantly. 

Whoever it was had on a mask that obscured their face, but the frame was tall and lanky, clearly alien. 

The footsteps increased in volume as they got closer, and Keith tensed. 

There were more of them out there. 

“Find the paladin and the kid,” a male voice barked out from somewhere down the hall, “I want them both taken alive.”

Someone was after him and June, but why? What use could they have for a child? ...Unless that child was the daughter of the Queen of Altea and a Paladin of Voltron. 

Fuck, he had to get them out of here, or atleast call someone to let them know they were in trouble. Their only option was to lay low and avoid whoever it was attacking them. Keith didn’t want June getting hurt in the scuffle, and getting her out was first priority. 

He snuck through the kitchen cautiously, praying June wouldn’t wake up or cry out to alert them of their position. With his free hand, he dialed Allura and waited anxiously for the dial tone. 

_‘Come on, pick up…’_

When the line went straight to voicemail, Keith tried Lance and then Shiro, but no one picked up. 

Someone yelled out to his left, and without thinking, Keith dropped his phone and slid open the drawer behind him, throwing a steak knife at the assailant. The man cried out when it embedded in his shoulder, but Keith didn’t wait around to see how much damage it had caused. 

The door was only a few feet away when something slammed bodily against his side, sending him crashing to the floor. He curled up protectively against June instinctively, cradling her head so it wouldn't hit the floor, but she still burst into tears at the impact. 

A harsh kick fell over his ribs, and another to the stomach. His arms took the brunt of the impact as he struggled to his feet and was forced down each time. June was wailing, terrified and confused, and the sound gave him the strength to push back against the man that was attacking him. 

Something sharp jabbed into the skin of his neck, and almost immediately he could feel his limbs slowing. Still, he gripped June tighter and punched the man square in the face, sending him reeling back.

He tried to push past him and to the door but the man forced him back before he could make a run for it. Keith lept back as the air in front of him whistled, the sharp edge of the sword cutting through the thin skin of his cheek. He parried and flipped his wrist so the sword went flying. However, he didn’t notice in his haste that another assailant was coming behind him, not until white hot agony was ripping through muscle.

Keith cried out as the dagger was torn out of his side, blooming warmth spreading through the thin hoodie he wore, no protection against the knife. Whatever they had drugged him with was working faster now, and that coupled with the blood loss sent him crashing to his knees. 

A kick to his ribs forced him to the ground, coughing wetly as the wound on his side burst in pain. Keith let out a strangled cry as the man’s boot ground against the wound and hands started to pull June away from him. 

“Don’t touch her,” he snarled through the tears in his eyes, voice hoarse, “You fucking bastards, don’t touch her!”

“Shut him up,” someone snarled and a hand backhanded him hard enough that he fell to the side, disorientated and ears ringing. 

He saw red when they picked up a crying June, and thrashed in their hold, biting the hand closest to him and holding no regard for the gaping wound on his side. 

The man he bit cursed, shoving him to the side and into the coffee table. The glass of the tabletop shattered, sending crystal raining down. Keith groped around blinding for a large piece, cutting up his palm in the process, and lunged forward. The man screamed as the glass piece embedded itself in his arm, rearing back in pain. 

For the third time that night, Keith forced his trembling hands under him but he wasn’t strong enough to even support his own weight. He crashed back against the ground, glass digging into his back but too exhausted to move. His side was quickly growing wet with blood, and his fingers were starting to grow numb. 

His hands were forced behind his back, and he let out a strangled cry as the action pulled at the injury on his side. His vision blackened as he was forced to his feet, dragging him through the house and into a vehicle of some sort. He could hear June crying through the ringing of his ears, and his blood ran cold when she abruptly fell quiet. 

_‘June-,’_ his vision darkened and it wasn’t long after that that he fell into the comforting embrace of unconsciousness. 

Keith woke to a heavy weight in his arms. 

His side was a well of agony, throbbing in time with his heartbeat, and when he tried to press a hand against the wound, he found his hands chained and unable to move. 

June was in his arms, her tiny head tucked against his shoulder, blissfully asleep. Keith scanned her with blurry eyes, relieved to find that she had no bruises or cuts. He shifted carefully to find a better and more comfortable position, cautious as to not wake her. 

The room they were in was bare, only a small cot against the wall and a threadbare blanket. It was freezing, and that coupled with blood loss was causing his teeth to chatter. He leaned over as far as he could without jostling June, stretching out a hand and grabbing the blanket so he could swaddle the baby in it. 

She let out a content sigh, and Keith marveled at how blissfully unaware she was of their situation. 

There was no window and no way to tell what time it was, where they were or how long they had been here. His heart panged when he thought of Allura and Lance, coming home after their date and finding their home wrecked, blood on the floor and their daughter missing. Fuck, he should have done better to protect her. She was just a kid, and didn’t deserve to be tangled up in this mess. 

Keith prayed that they had come home and knew that they were missing. The faster they figured it out, the faster they could get June out of here. 

The infant was starting to squirm now, forehead creasing in sleep. Keith knew it meant she was waking up and how inconsolable she was after nap. Usually when that happened, not even Lance could quiet her, and June would finally calm down only in her mother’s arms. 

He rubbed her back, hoping to pull her back to sleep but with no luck. She started to whimper in her sleep, moving restlessly. 

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Baby, it’s okay, I’m right here," Keith murmured through chattering teeth, holding June's small hands between his own to warm them up. 

June started to whimper, and Keith clutched her tighter knowing the baby was about to start crying. "Shh, it's ok, baby. I'm here, don't worry. Shh, no, no, please, no, don't cry-"

June sniffled, and Keith gently ran a hand up and down her back. It was the most he could do at the moment, chained up as he was with a gaping wound in his side. 

"God, Allura, I'm so sorry."

Keith sucked in a calming breath, allowing his head to fall back against the stone wall harshly. His voice was starting to get rough, and scratched at his throat painfully. 

June began to cry, and Keith knew, with a sinking feeling in his stomach, that she was hungry. "Shh, quiet. I'll get you something to eat, I promise. Please, just..."

One hand supporting June’s head, Keith groaned as he shifted himself forward. 

“Hey!” He called out hoarsely, swallowing to moisten his sore throat, “Is anyone there?”

He shouted again, but when no one responded, he fell back against the wall in exhaustion. June was still crying and showing no signs that she would stop anytime soon. 

The door to the room opened and an Altean man stepped in, wearing dark armor and an angry scowl. There was a bruise around his nose, and one of his eyes was swollen and puffy. Keith recalled lashing out at one of the attackers back at the house and hitting someone square in the nose. It explained the man's foul attitude as he dropped a jar and a spoon on the floor silently with a glare. Keith kept silent, despite every instinct telling him to fight back, so he wouldn’t provoke the man into attacking him while he was defenseless. 

“We’ve already informed the Princess of our demands, but we still need some incentive. We’ll be back for you soon,” he snarled. 

So they _were_ after Allura, probably using June against her to blackmail her into doing what they wanted. Keith thought about the Altean terrorist group that had popped up after the war, spreading pro-Lotor rhetoric and protesting against the modern way that New Altea had adopted for the war. The description fit, and Keith unconsciously held June tighter. 

The Altean turned to slip out of the room without another word, the door slamming with a resounding clang. Keith waited a beat to make sure he was actually gone, before reaching for the jar. 

There was Altean on the label along with a picture of a smiling baby and an orange colored fruit. The seal was unbroken and seemed to be untampered with. Keith polled the lid open and gave it a sniff, feeling slightly relieved when he didn’t smell any underlying scent of bitterness that could indicate poison. 

Just to be certain, he tried a small spoonful and waited. No chalkiness on his tongue or immediately adverse effects. 

He hesitated, not wanting to give it to June until he was certain it wasn’t harmful, but she was clearly hungry and in pain. 

Still, he waited a few minutes to give it to her, praying that it was safe for her to eat. Her face scrunched up with the first bite, but Keith knew that was because she preferred earth fruits and vegetables as opposed to whatever grew on Altea. She must have been too hungry to refuse however, because she ate almost a quarter of the jar before she was full. 

He rocked her as much as he could, bundling her up to make her as comfortable as possible. She wiggled around in her confines, probably wanting to explore but settled soon enough when she realized she was trapped. 

“Ke-ke?” She babbled, patting his scarred cheek with her hand. He chuckled wetly at the action, helplessly endeared. “Yeah, baby, I’m here.”

His hair had almost completely fallen from its braid, and June tugged at it in wonder, giggling when he winced. “No wonder Allura cut her hair so short,” he whispered to her, pressing a kiss against her rosy, chubby cheeks. “You probably drive your mama mad with all your tugging, don’t you?”

She gurgled in response, nose scrunching up adorably when she let out a quiet sneeze. 

“Bless you,” Keith told her, smiling down at her. His heart hurt when he thought about where they were, about whether they were still even on New Altea or not. He couldn’t let her get hurt, not when she had so much life still left in her. 

They had said they were coming back for him, he recalled, and he would take the chance he was given. It didn’t matter how injured he was, or how bad the odds looked. He had to try. 

Tucking June into the juncture between his neck and shoulder, Keith leaned against the wall and settled down to wait. 

They came for him a few hours later, and when they did, he was ready. 

He had placed June down on the cot, bundling her up tightly so she wouldn’t get hurt in the struggle. She was crying slightly, squirming and missing her mom, but he forced himself to refuse the urge to pick her up and cradle her close. When they unlocked his cuffs, he went quietly just far enough that she wouldn’t get hit accidently, before striking out with a kick that tore at the wound at his side but knocked out the guard. 

His companion exclaimed in shock but Keith didn’t give her an opportunity to call for backup, knocking her unconscious without hesitation. He was panting heavily, and swaying on his feet but they couldn’t stay here any longer. 

They had to keep moving. 

He staggered back into the cell, dragging the guards behind him. June whimpered when he picked her up, crying slightly, her lips chapped and dried. His heart ached to see her in such a state, and he prayed that they could make it out of this. 

Swaddling her in his arms, Keith shut the cell door behind him, hoping that the unconscious guards wouldn’t be noticed until after they had made it out. 

He stumbled a few times as he walked into the bright hallway, grasping on to the wall for support as his vision darkened, black creeping into the edge. June was wailing in his arms, her piercing cries increasing his headache and not helping the ringing in his ears. “Shhh,” he begged her, placing a shaking hand on her back, “please, I’m here, it’s okay, I promise... I’m working on it. We- we’re gonna be okay.”

Keith forced himself to his feet, shifting June to the crook of his arm so he could press his left hand against the wound on his side. He let out a strangled cry as the touch sent sparks of pain down his spine, but he knew he had to try and put pressure on it. He refused to bleed out here, in this unmarked hallway with his best friends’ daughter in his arms. 

It took a minute, but he eventually forced himself to his feet, ignoring the black spots in his vision. There were faint shouts down the hall, echoing eerily and pushing him to move. Keith turned a corner and ran right into someone, stumbling back and almost falling to the floor from the impact if it hadn’t been for the arms steadying him. 

He thrashed in the grip, panic blinding him at the thought that they had come so far but it _still wasn’t enough, he had to get her out of here-_

Cool hands cradled his face, one metal and one flesh, “Hey, hey, Keith, baby, it’s me.” The familiar voice instantly calmed him. 

_“Shiro-”_ he whimpered, tears falling from his eyes. 

There was similar relief in his husband's eyes as he breathed out a quiet, “Yeah, I’m here.”

Keith pushed June into his arms, stumbling and falling against the wall. “Shiro- take her… get her out of here-“ he gasped, doubling over as white hot agony raced up his ribs. Shiro put a bracing hand over Keith’s shoulder, supporting him so he wouldn’t hurt himself further. His eyes tracked Keith’s body, taking in the array of bruises on his face, the bleeding cuts on his hands, and the large stain of red on his clothes. 

“Take her for a minute,” Shiro made sure June was secure in Keith’s arms, ignoring his panicked cries, _“No,_ Shiro, get her _out of here_ -“

“Keith,” Shiro pushed his hands through his husband's bangs, brushing his other other under his bruised eye. “It’s okay, we’re getting out of here. But I need you to trust me, okay? I’m not leaving either of you behind.”

Keith nodded hesitantly, letting out a pained whimper when Shiro placed an arm under his knees and one on his back, lifting him up bridal style. Keith pulled June close to him, his vision growing spotty but still refusing to let go. Shiro said something to him but it was muddled and unclear. It must not have been important. 

He buried his head into the fabric of Shiro’s shirt, trying to block out the pain that was radiating from his abdomen. He must have passed out because he jolted awake when Shiro placed him down on their ship, laying him down across the pull out bench. 

“Guys, I found June and Keith,” he said into the comm in his ear, grabbing for the first aid and rummaging through it. 

He found the gauze and pressed it against the wound tightly, wincing when Keith let out a strangled cry. “Sorry,” he whispered, pressing a sloppy kiss against his cheek in apology. 

_“Oh thank the ancients. Are they okay?_ ” Allura's frantic voice came over the line, sounding like she was going to burst into tears any minute. 

Shiro looked over at June, who had settled slightly in Keith’s limp hold, her breath still hitching but no longer crying like she had been earlier. “June’s fine. Keith needs medical help but I think he’ll be okay. Are you hurt anywhere else?” He directed the last part to his husband, brushing a hand over Keith’s bruised knuckles gently. 

Keith shook his head tiredly, tightening his arms around June and tucking her head against his shoulder. 

There was something else that Shiro said, but Keith didn’t catch it. Seeing his lethargy, his husband brushed a hand over Keith’s hair, pushing his bangs back and pressing a kiss against his forehead. “Rest now. You did good, baby.”

Keith tried to resist but the heaviness in his eyes and the fog in his mind became too great. He whimpered when he felt June being taken away from his arms and panicked, desperately trying to keep her close. 

“It’s just me, Keith. I’m gonna get her cleaned up and then get her something to eat. She’s okay,” Keith felt his arms slacken and allowed Shiro to take her away knowing she would be in good hands. 

“-Keith, can you hear me?”

Wincing at the dull throbbing down his side, Keith shut his eyes tighter against the bright light. There was a hand brushing through his hair, the motion familiar and comforting. It would have put him back to sleep but his head was starting to ache and his hands throbbed and his ribs _hurt-_

“Baby, wake up.”

Keith’s eyes fluttered as he struggled to push past the fog that covered his thoughts, confused and disoriented. 

“Hey,” Shiro smiled down at him in relief, rubbing a thumb over Keith’s cheek, “you had me worried there.”

Keith stared for a long second, taking in the radiating pain from every inch of his body, the hospital room he was in, and Shiro’s disheveled state. What had happened? And more importantly, why was he in the hospital?

Slowly, the events of the past day came back to him, and Keith jolted up with a pained gasp, “Shiro, _where’s June?_ Is she okay-?“

Shiro pushed a hand against his shoulder, slowly easing him back down on the bed. “She’s okay Keith. She was just tired and hungry. She was sleeping it off.”

“I want to see her,” he rasped. 

“Baby, you’re still hurt. The doctor said you need rest.”

“Shiro, _please / _, I- I need to see her.”__

__Shiro looked like he was going to refuse again, but after a long minute, he relented with a soft sigh, pressing a kiss against bruised knuckles._ _

__“I’ll tell Lance to bring her by,” he told Keith softly, intertwining their fingers, “but you should really rest for now, okay? You’ve been through a lot.”_ _

__Keith looked down at the blue undescript blanket, shyly gazing up at his husband through the curtain of his bangs. “Lie down with me?” He asked softly, scooting over to make space._ _

__“I don’t want to hurt you,” Shiro said reluctantly, even though he was clearly tempted._ _

__“I missed you,” Keith responded in that soft voice of his, the one Shiro could never refuse. Sure enough, Shiro sighed and bent to remove his shoes, “Scoot over.”_ _

__Shiro didn’t waste any time getting comfortable, pulling Keith against his side so that his head was pillowed against the older man's chest, their legs entangled. Keith grabbed his husband's hand, entwining their fingers together and rubbing a thumb idly over their wedding band._ _

__“You had us so worried,” Shiro whispered into his hair, pressing a kiss into the dark locks, “I saw your missed call when I got home, but you wouldn’t pick up, and then Allura was saying someone had broken in and there was blood…”_ _

__They both fell silent at that, just grateful to be in each other’s arms once again._ _

__“So much for our date,” Keith murmured into Shiro’s shirt, sending his husband chuckling._ _

__There was a knock from outside the room, and the door was being pushed open eagerly._ _

__“Keith!” He barely had a chance to breathe before he was being squeezed in a desperate embrace. He winced when his wound was jostled, and Allura pulled back with a hurried apology. “Sorry! It’s just so good to see you awake.”_ _

__Keith smiled back tiredly, sinking back against Shiro’s arms. “Thanks. Is June…?”_ _

__“Oh, yes! Lance is bringing her now.”_ _

__Allura reached out and took her friend's hand. “They said she had no injuries, just hungry and tired. The people who kidnapped you two are under arrest and awaiting trial,” Allura smiled at him gently, her gratitude clearly spelled out on her face, “ _Thank you_ for taking care of her, Keith. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if you weren’t with her.”_ _

__Frowning, Keith pulled his hand away. “I should have done more,” he whispered, staring down at the bed._ _

__There was a kiss pressed against the corner of his mouth, and Keith turned to find his husband smiling gently at him. “Just take the compliment, babe. You did good.”_ _

__Keith opened his mouth to respond but the door flung open again, Lance barging in with June in one arm and three large balloons in another._ _

__Allura groaned at the sight, “Lance! I told you not to buy those hideous things!”_ _

__“It’s okay,” Lance said, placing the balloons down on the side table and kissing Allura’s hair. “Keith doesn’t mind, do you?”_ _

__Keith didn’t reply, tearing up at the sight of June _safe_ and sound and gurgling happily-_ _

__“Oh no, they’re not _that_ bad, are they?” Lance asked in panic, struggling to push the large balloons out of sight. _ _

__“No, I- '' Keith chucked wetly, brushing away the tears that had fallen. Shiro’s squeezed his arm in comfort, and catching Keith’s glances to June, Allura carried the baby over to the bed._ _

__“Ke-Ke!” June babbled, clapping excitedly and almost jumping out of her mother's arms to get on the hospital bed. Keith caught her instinctively, gasping when he jostled his wound. Shiro’s arms came around him, supporting June so her weight wouldn’t press down against his aching body._ _

__“Hey,” Keith whispered, voice cracking, brushing her hand through her soft hair. He was tearing up again, and June sat up in interest when she saw the tears, patting his cheek gently and babbling incoherently, “Yeah, baby, I’m okay.”_ _

__June tried crawling over Keith’s legs, but let out a surprised hiccup when she fell over in the space between him and Shiro. She giggled, but didn’t seem to want to move, too comfortable in the warmth of the bed. Keith smiled softly, holding one of her soft hands in his._ _

__“It’s been hours since you guys rested last,” Shiro told Allura and Lance, still running a hand through Keith's hair, “You two should get some sleep. We’ll watch over her.”_ _

__Allura nodded, getting up from her chair. She leaned over and kissed Keith’s scarred cheek in gratitude, “Thank you again, Keith. Really.”_ _

__“I’m just glad she’s okay,” he blushed, looking down in embarrassment._ _

__“Don’t spoil her too much,” Lance remarked as they left the room, and they all graciously ignored the fact that Lance and Allura were the ones who spoiled June the most out of all of them._ _

__Keith sighed when the couple left, shifting to his side and reaching out a bandaged hand for Shiro to hold. His husband did the same so they were facing each other, June giggling between them._ _

__“You’re really good with her,” Shiro said softly, rubbing a thumb over Keith’s knuckles and watching as his lover pressed a sloppy kiss against June’s chubby cheek._ _

__“I’ve always wanted kids,” was the quiet response._ _

__“Yeah?” Shiro grinned, scooting closer onto the small bed so all three of them were pressed close._ _

__“Yeah,” Keith looked up shyly from behind his bangs, scrunching his nose when Shiro leaned over to kiss up on the top of his nose._ _

__“You’ve always wanted kids,” Shiro repeated in response, voice thoughtful. He was clearly deep in thought, face open and pensive. “Huh.”_ _

__“What does that look mean?” Keith asked hopefully, even though he had a very strong feeling of what Shiro was thinking. They still had to talk about it of course, but even thinking of the possibility sent Keith’s heart soaring._ _

__“It _means_ you should get some sleep,” Shiro teased him fondly, tracing patterns on Keith’s back._ _

__Keith smiled and closed his eyes._ _


End file.
